February Newsletter- Scientific Plant Service

March 7, 2019

Read our February Newsletter to learn about several updates to our business!

Thank you for choosing Scientific Plant Service! It is our pleasure to provide you with a customized and personalized plan to maintain and enhance the beauty of your property. Since our founding in 1957, we at Scientific Plant Service have taken pride in meeting our clients’ needs with personal and professional services. It is with confidence in our team and products that we are able to offer a broad range of recommendations and treatments while remaining stewards of the environment.

We are excited to inform you of several updates to our business. We have transitioned to a premier software system that will help us more efficiently manage our company. Your invoices, statements and the Scientific Plant website have a new look. Another improvement to the site is that it’s now mobile friendly and has the addition of a Client Portal. Once initialized, this portal will allow you to access your service history and upcoming services. Client privacy and security has been updated, and through your Client Portal, you will be able to quickly remit or set up for repeat remittance of your payments. Payments will be processed through your choice of a credit/debit card or a checking account. Credit card information will no longer be manually kept in our office records. Postal payments will still be accepted, but we are optimistic that the new feature of portal payment will be a time saver and a welcomed addition. Please note that we have a new bill payment address which will utilize a secure bank lock box.

Enclosed with this letter is your schedule of services for the 2019 season. Please take a moment to review your program. If you wish to make any changes or to speak to your representative about your plan, please call the office. If no changes are needed, your property will be treated, as scheduled, at the appropriate time. At this time we also encourage you to take a moment to view our new website and to create a login for your personal Client Portal.

We want to assure you that the debut of our new website and the additional features it offers was put into place to serve as an enhancement and will by no means diminish or alter our commitment to superior and personal interactions. Our trained technicians, knowledgeable territory representatives, responsive office staff, and hands-on management remain in place with the same dedication you have come to know and expect from Scientific Plant Service.

2018 – A Year of Excess Rain

The 2018 year of record-breaking rainfall waterlogged soils and has caused many root problems. So, what can be done?

The answer is future prevention through consultation with one of Scientific Plant’s Health Care Advisors. They will help you evaluate your landscape and can develop drainage solutions. Solutions may include grading to allow for good surface drainage that will allow excess water to move through the landscape. Low areas that collect and hold water could be eliminated. Subsurface drainage systems that drain excess water away could be very effective. An application of a soil conditioner to improve the soil’s structure will aggregate the soil particles into blocks creating larger pore spaces for the retention of air.

Plants with compromised or damaged root systems will be prone to additional problems in 2019. Waterlogged or excessively wet soils have insufficient oxygen for plant roots. That means that plant roots cannot take up and release water or release excess carbon dioxide, which they need to do in order to survive. Plants often look like they are wilting, but not due to too little water, but because they can no longer access available water. This leads to the stunting of growth, root rot with a rotting odor, the yellowing, twisting and dropping of leaves, shoot dieback and a lack of flowers or fruit.

Moist and waterlogged areas also provide the perfect breeding ground for harmful mosquitos and ticks. Consultation with a Scientific Plant Health Care Advisor will offer you solutions to help eliminate these areas. Preventing infestation of mosquitos and ticks can also be obtained by putting a seasonal treatment plan in place.

Please contact us so that we may discuss your concerns and provide you with a customized plan to meet your needs. The Client Portal will be in the upper right-hand corner of the website.

Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare

Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.

We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!